


Kids these days

by ollipop



Series: Let's See What Happens [3]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Awkwardness, Family, Gen, Pregnancy, uterine replicator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-07
Updated: 2013-09-07
Packaged: 2017-12-25 21:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/957556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ollipop/pseuds/ollipop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As it turns out, Vorkosigan women have strong opinions about gestation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kids these days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ana/gifts).



> Yeah, this scene didn't exactly go the way I thought it would. (Another short ficlet, about 600 words.)

Laisa’s groundcar pulled up to the porte-cochere at Vorkosigan House, but Ekaterin herself was at the door to greet Laisa. Actually, Ekaterin was at the front walkway, fiddling with a vining plant that seemed determined to grow along the pillars of the house despite all best intentions. The two women exchanged a formal greeting outside, and Laisa trailed Ekaterin into the foyer.

As soon as the heavy doors shut, Ekaterin turned to face Laisa.

“Could I give you a hug?” she asked abruptly.

Laisa nodded and leaned towards the taller woman. Ekaterin held her Empress tight by the shoulders, ignoring the Vorbarra armsman who hovered nervously beside them. “Congratulations!” she whispered in Laisa’s ear. When she pulled back to grip Laisa’s shoulders, she was grinning. 

The two of them fetched up in one of the smaller libraries with some tea. Ekaterin shooed away the children underfoot by asking them to check on the status of Ma Kosti’s pastry cart, but little Helen stayed behind.

Helen closed the door carefully behind Sasha, dropped a curtsey and stood in front of Laisa expectantly. 

“Yes?” Laisa asked. 

Helen darted a glance at her mother, then started speaking quickly. “Papa said we might have a new cousin, but then he looked up and saw me and stopped talking. I asked him whether it was a boy or a girl, and he wouldn’t tell me. Which is it? I hope you chose a girl.”

“HELEN!” Ekaterin glared. “You agreed to Papa that you wouldn’t speak of it. Not even to Sasha. And you also agreed that you’d stop listening from curtains.” 

Helen gave her mother a guilty scowl. “I _know,_ Mama, but she knows already. She’s the _Empress,_ and it’s her baby anyway. Half of it is, anyway. Boy or girl?” She demanded the last to Laisa.

Laisa waved a "calm-down" hand to Ekaterin and addressed the little girl. “I don’t know yet whether it’s a girl or a boy, Helen, and it will be a little more time before we share. Thank you for keeping this private.” She gave Helen a meaningful look. 

Helen’s eyes widened. “You don’t KNOW?” she exclaimed. “It should be right there in the report. I could read it for you. I bet I could even get it off the Residence archive, if they’ve stored it yet. I found Lizzie’s report in the com system before she was born, it tells you all sorts of things about proro… probbilities of things.” She pulled an oversized comlink out of the hem of her skirt, muttering now to herself. “I can’t believe you didn’t _choose_ beforehand, it’s time for another girl. Simon’s no fun to dress up.” 

Ekaterin’s face was beginning to turn scarlet. “Helen. Go play, we will talk about this. Later.”

“I know! We could go look and see,” Helen offered. “Is it at the Residence?”

Laisa said, “No, Helen…” She looked over at Ekaterin for permission, and got a tiny nod. “The, the baby isn’t in a replicator. It’s in my body. Here.” She touched her abdomen.

Helen looked astonished. “It’s _inside_ you? Wow. How do you do that?” Her eyes narrowed. “And how do you know it’s really in there? And how do you replicate a person without a replicator, anyway?” 

Laisa stifled a giggle, and Ekaterin beckoned her daughter closer. “You ask smart questions, my dear,” she said. “When your father gets back this evening, I know he’ll be more than happy to discuss it with you.” One of Ekaterin’s hands snaked around Helen’s waist to confiscate her comlink. “Now, go! Play.” 

After Helen scampered away, the two women blinked for a moment in confusion. Ekaterin looked at Laisa hopelessly. “So, you’re telling the children… ?”

“Tonight, I suppose.” 

The stunned silence continued until the pastries arrived.


End file.
